Sadly, they won't become extinct because so much money, networks, Fox, OneAmerica, Newsmax, commentators, and so other grifters are making money destroying our country and they have ready followers, mostly in Rural America now, which makes them powerful still.
That and there is no real avenue for a third party to replace them. With a better system we could see what support is out there for a center right sane party.
I fear it is both too late for a center right sane party and too early (now that we missed the first window) for a center right sane party. The current GOP has to be burned to destruction with as many election cycles it takes. Any attempts too early will just guarantee GOP victories.
A third party is untenable because we have a two-party system, a *structure* of single-seat districts and plurality elections and the electoral college, that impels us always toward two and only two choices. You're in the top two, or you're a spoiler, or you're invisible. The only way to have a different party become relevant is to knock an existing one *out* of national top-two contention.
Assuming we last long enough, I'd truly like to see what effect eliminating the electoral college -- always undemocratic and embraced nowhere else on earth -- would have on giving the losing candidate the office he lost (twice in 20 years now). The founders warned against a party system of any kind. I wonder if they were thinking of how a party could manipulate the EC.
I've long favored a third party option, but as you say, now is not the time for that. The only sensible plan forward is repeated, relentless, and hopefully crushing defeat. Only once the Republican Party in its current form is vanquished can we begin to consider changes that may increase the odds of a Republican winning. Ideally "right-liberal" Republicans and R-leaning Independents would vote for the Democrat to have the most effect. At minimum, they need to not case a vote for a Republican.
I have come to think that to save the country and the planet both Putin and DJT need to be crushed like bugs, asap!!! Crushed! Not handled with kid gloves. Not man handled. Crushed! This drip drip drip nothingness is making people crazier.
I'm not terribly convinced it is possible under the current framework. Note I mentioned a better system, which we don't have and aren't in much danger of getting any time soon.
It may not be possible for an electable third party, but an unelectable one (i.e., No Labels) can certainly gum-up the works as a spoiler against Democrats. Hell, if anything, I wish the moderate Republicans would break away and start their own center-right party with the sole intention of bleeding away support from the Republican's MAGA candidates.
Perhaps now is the time to dust off the ol' Democratic-Republican moniker. It aptly describes the non-MAGA Republicans as in favor of democracy as opposed to the authoritarian ones. This way they don't have to stop being Republicans, but differentiate themselves from the fringe that took over.
No Labels is highly suspect as a mechanism to bleed the Rs that are currently voting blue and the R leaning Indies that are doing the same. Net result is that the Dems lose. No Labels is protecting their anonymous donors rather aggressively. And I saw a map the other day of states they are targeting. All the battleground states and the swing states. I don't trust them as a genuine 3rd party. Sounds like a dirty trick waiting to happen, imo.
Yeah don’t bother talking about “moderate” Republicans. If they’re still members then they’re complicit.
Apparently.
Sadly, they won't become extinct because so much money, networks, Fox, OneAmerica, Newsmax, commentators, and so other grifters are making money destroying our country and they have ready followers, mostly in Rural America now, which makes them powerful still.
That and there is no real avenue for a third party to replace them. With a better system we could see what support is out there for a center right sane party.
I fear it is both too late for a center right sane party and too early (now that we missed the first window) for a center right sane party. The current GOP has to be burned to destruction with as many election cycles it takes. Any attempts too early will just guarantee GOP victories.
A third party is untenable because we have a two-party system, a *structure* of single-seat districts and plurality elections and the electoral college, that impels us always toward two and only two choices. You're in the top two, or you're a spoiler, or you're invisible. The only way to have a different party become relevant is to knock an existing one *out* of national top-two contention.
Assuming we last long enough, I'd truly like to see what effect eliminating the electoral college -- always undemocratic and embraced nowhere else on earth -- would have on giving the losing candidate the office he lost (twice in 20 years now). The founders warned against a party system of any kind. I wonder if they were thinking of how a party could manipulate the EC.
They warned against faction... and immediately broke into factions.
The EC was their insurance policy that the "right" type of person would be elected President (one of them or someone like them).
It never really worked... and then failed spectacularly in the opposite direction.
I've long favored a third party option, but as you say, now is not the time for that. The only sensible plan forward is repeated, relentless, and hopefully crushing defeat. Only once the Republican Party in its current form is vanquished can we begin to consider changes that may increase the odds of a Republican winning. Ideally "right-liberal" Republicans and R-leaning Independents would vote for the Democrat to have the most effect. At minimum, they need to not case a vote for a Republican.
I have come to think that to save the country and the planet both Putin and DJT need to be crushed like bugs, asap!!! Crushed! Not handled with kid gloves. Not man handled. Crushed! This drip drip drip nothingness is making people crazier.
I'm not terribly convinced it is possible under the current framework. Note I mentioned a better system, which we don't have and aren't in much danger of getting any time soon.
It may not be possible for an electable third party, but an unelectable one (i.e., No Labels) can certainly gum-up the works as a spoiler against Democrats. Hell, if anything, I wish the moderate Republicans would break away and start their own center-right party with the sole intention of bleeding away support from the Republican's MAGA candidates.
Perhaps now is the time to dust off the ol' Democratic-Republican moniker. It aptly describes the non-MAGA Republicans as in favor of democracy as opposed to the authoritarian ones. This way they don't have to stop being Republicans, but differentiate themselves from the fringe that took over.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic-Republican_Party
No Labels is highly suspect as a mechanism to bleed the Rs that are currently voting blue and the R leaning Indies that are doing the same. Net result is that the Dems lose. No Labels is protecting their anonymous donors rather aggressively. And I saw a map the other day of states they are targeting. All the battleground states and the swing states. I don't trust them as a genuine 3rd party. Sounds like a dirty trick waiting to happen, imo.
There's also the Forward Party getting on state ballots; I have no idea if they will balance the No Labels party or make it worse.
That no labels thing could be an issue if Trump isn't on the ticket. If he is, I don't think they'll be a factor.